Hindmarsh Shire Council approves extra road works

HINDMARSH Shire Council will fund extra road works in 2017-18 with savings from its capital works budget.

Councillors voted at a meeting on Wednesday to allocate more than $100,000 from council’s budget this year to neighbouring councils, for roads that run through both shires.

The money includes $80,000 for West Wimmera Shire Council to renew five kilometres of Boundary Road, Yanac, and about $30,000 towards redoing 1.7 kilometres of Geodetic Road north-east of Dimboola.

Yarriambiack council will complete the latter work.

Work at both locations will include re-sheeting the surfaces with 100 millimetres of limestone and gravel respectively to return the roads to their original standards.

Hindmarsh mayor Ron Ismay said it was not uncommon for councils to allocate money to other councils, given many Wimmera roads ran through multiple municipalities.

"The roads shared between councils have shared cost, with both councils contributing half each," he said.

Cr Ismay said he was pleased council was able to add some important projects to its plans for this financial year.

"We discussed at our meeting that things are going alright, and we're probably not looking to apply for a rate variation this year," he said.

Hindmarsh councillors also voted to bring forward works on a section of Nhill-Murrayville Road, Yanac, from the 2018-19 budget.

The works are estimated at $70,000.

Council set its capital works budget for 2017-18 at $5.8 million, with renewal works making up about $3.5 million.

In his report to council, infrastructure services director Shane Power said agreements were in place with each of Hindmarsh council's bordering municipalities to ensure fair contributions for roads management.

Councils' boundary road agreements set out an agreed length of road that each council is responsible for maintaining day to day, and states any improvement works will be shared equally.